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There are only a few more weeks left before the ELD mandate becomes mandatory for commercial drivers. However, there is still a large number of fleets which hasn’t installed electronic logging devices yet.

In fact, according to a survey by CarrierLists, which included 1600 fleets, only 37% fleets have successfully implemented compliant ELD solutions.

“The deadline is fast approaching, and yet, only 37% of the fleets have purchased and installed ELD devices for their fleets,” described Kelvin Hill, the President and Founder of CarrierLists. He also said that this number is “shockingly low.”

However, Hill shared that the figure is a ‘significant increase’ in numbers as compared to the last survey’s results. Only 23% of fleets were compliant or moving towards ELD implementation in early October.

It is also interesting to note that most of the large carriers have already installed electronic logging devices. On the other hand, smaller fleets and owner-operators are lagging behind in the ELD implementation race.

According to the records maintained by the American Trucking Association (ATA), 97.2% of all fleet owners operate fewer than 20 trucks. The figure shows that most of the trucking companies operating in America are small fleets.

A small fleet operator, Les Willis, was interviewed and asked why so many smaller fleets are late when it comes to ELD mandate implementation. He told that the main reason for the delay is the cost associated with installing and maintaining ELDs, which is often a bit too high for smaller carriers and owner-operators.

Although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) claims that the total annual cost of ELD per truck is $495, Les Willis argues that smaller carriers pay more. He said that the total cost of complying with the ELD mandate is $1.5 billion out of which 1.3 billion is to be borne by smaller fleets. On the other hand, large fleets will cover only the remaining $200 million.

There is some truth in Willis’ arguments.

There are several ELD manufacturers that charge thousands of dollars per ELD. Apart from the hefty monthly costs, some ELD vendors also charge additional fees for hardware and installation.

At KeepTruckin, we understand the struggles of owner-operators and smaller carriers. This is why we designed the most cost-effective ELD solution that leverages drivers’ smartphones to minimize the cost.

KeepTruckin ELDs start from just $20 per month, which ensures that small carriers and owner-operators can comfortably become compliant. Furthermore, there are no additional hardware or installation charges whatsoever. $20 per month is all you have to pay if you want to become compliant.

Moreover, KeepTruckin ELDs also have some incredible features that save truckers and fleets thousands of dollars every month.

For instance, KeepTruckin ELDs come with a built-in idle-time tracking feature. Fleet managers can use this to identify drivers who idle for too long or too frequently. According to an estimate, for a truck that consumes $70,000 worth of fuel every year, approximately $5,600 is wasted on idling.

Assuming that you have 20 trucks in your fleet, you are looking at $112,000 in wasted fuel every year unless you have a system to stop vehicle idling.

KeepTruckin ELDs also have other features that help you save money. For example:

With GPS tracking and vehicle location history, you can identify the safest and shortest routes to manage your fleet more efficiently and save extra fuel.

With driver scorecards, you can identify drivers who have bad driving habits (speeding, hard acceleration, hard cornering, and hard braking). According to experts, if drivers drive at 55 mph, instead of 65 mph, they consume 20% less fuel.

KeepTruckin ELDs notify drivers as well as fleet managers for any upcoming HOS violations. Fewer violations mean less penalties to pay. Moreover, it also improves the CSA scores, which means more clients and better business opportunities.

ELD Supply Shortage

The fact that more than 60% fleets still haven’t installed compliant ELDs is dangerous for everyone.

As the deadline grows closer, there will be an “ELD rush”.

Truckers would be rushing to get electronic logging devices, but it is expected that they won’t get any. According to industry experts, an ELD supply shortage is highly likely in the next few weeks.